Wednesday, 12 August 2015

Ladahk ride -Prelude

Ladahk ride - prelude

I’ve written a ride diary for this trip for
the ADV rider forum, being aware that many others may have done rides in
Ladahk, but maybe something here will help guys with a little bit of info that
will make preparations easier because I had a lot of questions before setting
out and a few were still unanswered when I got on the plane.

I spent weeks trawling the net looking at
the various tour packages being offered, ranging from the ultra up market
expeditions with their own dedicated doctor, and pressure bag ( to counter
serious mountain sickness ) to those like the one I chose, being minimalist and
just running support vehicles and a mechanic. In one of my madder moments I
thought of doing the ride on my own because of being able to opt for the more gradual
climb from Srinagar to Leh, rather than the very quick ascent from Manali to
Sarchu over the Rotang pass on day 3.
However thankfully, I didn’t and realize that I wouldn’t have had the
resilience to keep going alone and would have missed the fun of the group ride.

I intended hiring a bike in Delhi and after
initially booking with Tony Motors in Karol Bagh, found Cosy Travel which would
do an Enfield Classic 500 for 1000 R per day.

I wanted fuel injection and the gear change on
the left and racks fitted. Neel did a deal with me whereby I left AUD $1000
with him as the security deposit and got the same returned to me, avoiding
ending up with a heap of rupees on the day before leaving Delhi. I saw this
Enfield at K B, which interested me more, a new Indian developed model, with an
enlarged 535cc engine and good quality “bought in” ancilliary componentry- fuel
injection, brakes etc and dreamed of riding one of these – crazy, because you
couldn’t go to Ladahk on one.

For those who are interested in where these
Enfields originated, here’s a bit of info:

Royal Enfield can trace its history right
back to 1851, when George Townsend established a needle making mill in Hunt
End, Redditch. After his death, his son George started making safety bicycles,
but ran into financial trouble, and R W Smith and Albert Eadie were appointed
to take control in 1891.

The works were re christened the Eadie
manufacturing Co Ltd, and a substantial contract to supply precision rifle
parts to the Royal Small Arms factory in Enfield, Middlesex, put the business
back on its feet. In celebration , the new bicycle was called the Enfield.

The prefix “Royal”(in tribute to the Royal
Small Arms factory) was licensed by the Crown and one of the most great names
in motorcycling history was born, soon adopting its famous trade mark “Built
like a Gun”.

In 1901 R E’s first “motor bicycle” with an
engine mounted above the front wheel appeared, and by 1912, motorcycles with
larger V twin engines from Motosacoche, Vickers Wolseley and JAP were being
produced.

During the First World war, R E gained
contracts from both the U Ks War Department and the Imperial Russian
government. When peace was made, more models followed including a 976 cc twin
in 1921 and a 350 single, three years later. In 928 R E pioneered the use of
saddle type petrol tanks along with centre spring front girders.

Around half a dozen military models were
produced during WW2, mostly side and overhead valve singles, including the
150cc ‘flying flea’, looking a bit like a stripped down BSA Bantam, and
designed to be dropped by parachute.

After the war ended, Royal Enfield marketed
the 350cc overhead valve Model G and 500cc Model J, which had rigid rear ends,
but telescopic front forks. In 1949 the 350cc Bullet, with front and rear springing
went on sale, and this model, and the 500cc version that followed were the
basis for the continuing manufacture of Indian made Royal Enfields.

The first of R Es parallel twins, a 500cc
model, soon followed and from it the popular Meteors, 700cc, Super Meteors,
Constellations, and finally the 736cc Interceptor were developed.

The 250cc ‘learner class’ dominated the
final British chapter, with the Clipper, Crusader, Crusader Sports, Continental
and Continental GT. Enfields also produced every day two strokes such as the
Ensign and the Prince.

By the mid 1950’s, there was a substantial
demand for sturdy trouble free motorcycles for the Indian Police and Army and
an order for 800 350cc bullets was placed. From UK components supplied under
licence, assembly was handled by Madras Motors, and the Indian bikes are still
made at Chennai. The tooling equipment for the Bullets was sold to Enfield
India in the 1957 and long after the Redditch built bikes have become history,
they are still being turned out in their thousands, the latest versions having
fuel injection, twin spark engines.

I wasn’t very enthusiastic about riding an
Enfield, even before the trip started but saw that they had two major pluses –
the possibility of being easily fixed at the many bike workshops along the way
and their ability to take the rough road punishment that might have cracked the
alloy frames and wheels of other bikes. So despite the assurances of Enfield
owners here telling me that I’d get to really like them, I didn’t. The Classic
I rented, performed poorly and I’m unconvinced that others would be much
better. But, more of that later.

With IAA, the main questions were about AMS
and the cold and Akarsh was fairly nonchalant about both, so I got some Diamox
before leaving and took a heap of padded gear.

Taking an armoured jacket, boots, helmet
and the “warm” gear meant that this wasn’t much less than I needed to take for
my US ride a couple of years before. I have a gear list if anyone needs one.

I had to pick up the bike from Todapur, not
a long way from where the hotel was at Parharganj but was freaking out when, after arriving in
Delhi, I first got in a tuk tuk and saw what happens when there aren’t any road
rules. It was seriously scary and I thought we would end up under a bus but
these guys know exactly where the four corners of their vehicles are and
operate with millimeter clearances.
Delhi is a huge confusing city and a GPS on the bars would be great. You
really don’t know what the surrounding vehicles will do and the most daring win
at the roundabouts. Apparently you get your licence by post.(and it shows)

I made the mistake of not spending enough time
checking the bike over because I had a tuk tuk waiting to guide me back and
problems arose later.

I deliberately chose a group which was bar
one Malaysian, all Indian Nationals and thinking that as the only pakeha, I
would get a more direct “cultural experience”.
I thought that if the group was largely Europeans, then on passing
though the small himalayan towns, we’d be ‘isolated“ from the locals. My own experience bore this out because once
outside Delhi, speaking English was not widespread and I relied on the guys in
the group to find what I wanted.

So travelling with these guys who largely
were bi lingual, was great and I learnt a lot. The downside was the menu.

They could eat stuff at the roadside
dhabbas and not have a problem. Many ex patriate Indians I’ve spoken to here in
Aus have told me that when they go back visiting, there’s no way they can just
eat anything and not get a dose of delhi belly.

Aakarsh, the IAA leader ( getting ready to take off on his KTM 390)

I had a few e mail exchanges with Akarsh
Pall from I Am Adventure and felt reassured by his answers although there was a
tricky moment when I asked him to demonstrate that they weren’t a bunch of
crooks. It was all go for a 28 May start until I broke my shoulder in March,
and suddenly the plan collapsed. I kept aiming for a 28 June departure and was
lucky that despite a bad lateral break, it healed well. The ortho surgeons were
a bit skeptical of my being ready for what they considered a big ask for a
recent break.